Chapters 21-22 Summary

Chapter 21

Aenea tells Raul that she can see her death in the future, and that even though she could perhaps avoid it, to do so would be the wrong decision. She admits that during the missiong 23 months she made love to, married, and had a child with another man.

A battle erupts in space over T'ien Shan. The people at the Temple Hanging in the Air watch what appears to be the reentry and destruction of a starship.

Mustafa believes that the trap set for the Raphael has worked and that the ship has been destroyed. He tells Nemes that Aenea must still be taken alive, but the Core assassins revolt, killing Father Farrell, Admiral Wu, and gravely injuring Mustafa before telling him to take the message to the Pax that elements of the Core desire Aenea's death. The palace guards intercept the assassins, knowing...